Organisational unit profile

Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences.

The Research InstituteBCN-BRAIN(‘Research Institute for Neurosciences and Healthy Ageing’) was established in 2005. Itsmissionis to promote research that is aimed at understanding the function of the healthy brain and dysfunction of the nervous system with reference to neurological and psychiatric disorders. Its research also emphasizes translational collaboration between lab-based and hospital-based researchers integrating different levels of neuroscience research.

Additional information

The Research InstituteBCN-BRAIN(‘Research Institute for Neurosciences and Healthy Ageing’) was established in its present form in 2005. Themissionof BCN-BRAIN is to promote research that is aimed at understanding the evolving and waning function of the healthy brain over lifetime, as well as nervous system dysfunction as it manifests in neurological and psychiatric ageing-associated disorders. The research emphasizes translational collaborations between lab-based and hospital-based researchers while integrating separate levels of neuroscience research.

It is BCN-BRAIN's strong conviction that the knowledge generated within the body of the institute must and will benefit patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders, and contribute to the ‘Healthy Ageing’ mission of increasing the number of years that people can spend in good health, without being encumbered by brain damage.

BCN-BRAIN harbours bothclinical and biomedical neuroscience research. Approaches range from (epi)genetics, via molecular research in Drosophila and C. Elegans to cognitive studies in humans. This allows multi-disciplinary projects that seek to understand the normal ageing phenomena of the healthy brain and to answer neurological and psychiatric disease-related questions. Within the neurological and psychiatric diseases that are being studied, the emphasis is on brain and behavioural development (incl. childhood onset movement disorders), neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders. Based on integrated research lines, preclinical- and clinical researchers collaborate in both biomedical and patient-oriented research. Cooperation within the interfaculty neuroscience Research School BCN brings in additional expertise on behavioural, physiological, physical, psychological, and mathematical methods. Collaborating faculties include Arts, Philosophy, Social Sciences and Behaviour, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Medical Sciences/UMCG.

The Research Institute BCN-BRAIN (‘Research Institute for Neurosciences and Healthy Ageing’) harbourssix research programmes:

Abnormal Neurological Development - Early Diagnosis and Intervention (ANDDI)